Duck/Grouse prep

bigbadjoe108 · #1 05-07-2008, 10:21 AM

Hi all,

Once again I have some questions that may seem terribly elementary to most on the forum.

As some of you know I have decided to start hunting this year and have been taking in all sorts of info from all sorts of sources and one common occurence in all this is the fact that grouse get "breasted".

Is there a reason why they are not plucked? Is there something wrong with the rest of the birds meat?

As for ducks/waterfowl, they get plucked, right?

Thanks for all your input.

theduke · #2 05-07-2008, 10:40 AM

you can do it anyway u want i just skin everything its just easier and when u just breast the bird its only cuz the other parts arent worth taking cuz not enough meat will that just my reason why i only breast my birds,except for geese ill try to take everything

CNP · #3 05-07-2008, 11:12 AM

What Duke said...

Don't pluck anything.....pull the breast out of upland birds and skin waterfowl.......You can salvage the legs on upland birds.

.264 Win Mag · #4 05-07-2008, 11:17 AM

I have tried to pluck grouse and the skin is son fine that it tears quite easily. It works best if you want to pluck them to do it right after the bird is retrieved. Which when walking through a field with a loaded remington 870 is the farthest thing on your mind. I woul assume that is why most people either skin or breast grouse.

Tako · #5 05-07-2008, 11:20 AM

Some guys will take the legs from grouse. Personally I don't bother with such a small amount of meat. Coyotes gotta have something to chew on.

*Grouse*

Pull off grouse's head.
Step on wings. HARD and close to the body.
Pull feet. Don't let wings slip.
BAM. Body separates from breast. Pull out innards.
Cut off wings (@ home!)
Slice down middle of breast following the keel (sternum, whatever, centre bone in breast)
Should come out with two halves. Takes some practice to get it perfect everytime but you'll get it. Sharp knife helps immensely.
Put the halves in a ziploc, cover in worchestershire and white wine, spices to your taste (I like cayenne, pepper, garlic, mustardpowder and paprika). Leave in fridge overnight. Dump the works in the slowcooker next day and BAM tasty grouse.

*Duck*

Pluck most of the breast.
Slice the skin away from the breast to expose meat.
Same as grouse, slice meat right off the keel
Sacrilegious I know (oldtime waterfowlers hate this) but I never pluck the whole body unless it's a BIG duck or a goose and we want to do the whole thing.

nekred · #6 05-07-2008, 12:03 PM

To prepare ducks a la Exxon....

First Dip in Bitumen........

Just Kidding... Grouse I put my finger under the skin by the crop and rip skin down and expose the breast meat. I filet this off the bone and take the boneless skinless chicken breast......With ruffed grouse since they are the only white meat grouse they can be identified by the meat. Which incidentally is the only grouse I eat.

Ducks and geese I usually skin, and pluck one goose for Christmas Dinner!..

Tako · #7 05-07-2008, 12:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nekred

To prepare ducks a la Exxon....

First Dip in Bitumen........

Just Kidding... Grouse I put my finger under the skin by the crop and rip skin down and expose the breast meat. I filet this off the bone and take the boneless skinless chicken breast......With ruffed grouse since they are the only white meat grouse they can be identified by the meat. Which incidentally is the only grouse I eat.

Ducks and geese I usually skin, and pluck one goose for Christmas Dinner!..

I sure hope you're IDing them before that

duffy4 · #8 05-07-2008, 01:15 PM

It depends a bit on how you are going to cook the meat.

If I plan to bake or roast a bird it is benificial to leave the skin on to keep moisture in the meat. A duck or goose with the skin on. stuffes and baked is a great change once in awhile from just breasting, pounding and frying.

BlueNorther · #9 05-07-2008, 01:35 PM

I'll take the time to pluck pheasant,doesn't really take that long,I also save the legs off grouse and partridge.When I have enough they go into the stock pot for soup stock.

ABDUKNUT · #10 05-07-2008, 03:31 PM

I hear the ducks up in Ft Mac are kinda oily?

Appletree · #11 05-07-2008, 03:38 PM

I always keep the legs/thighs of grouse and ducks; for me, there's enough meat on them to justify the very small amount of additional work it takes to remove them.

For ducks, like the others, I pluck the breast, remove the skin and cut off the breast muscles with a fillet knife. Then, you can reach around under the skin to the duck's back, and separate the skin down towards the legs. Cut the legs off at the ball-joint of the thigh/hip, and pull off any remaining skin, cutting it off when you cut off the lower foot. For grouse, it's even easier, just keep the legs after you've pulled them away from the rest of the grouse (using the step-on-the-wings method).

claas · #12 05-07-2008, 03:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ABDUKNUT

I hear the ducks up in Ft Mac are kinda oily?

bigbadjoe108 · #13 05-08-2008, 10:48 AM

Thanks all for your input!

Now, any good recipies for any of the birds??

Tredeb · #14 05-08-2008, 01:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bigbadjoe108

Thanks all for your input!

Now, any good recipies for any of the birds??

Good request, I think there should be a wild game recipe sticky

Alliman · #15 05-08-2008, 02:19 PM

Hi yall new to this forum,as far as ducks and geese go .It is against the law to only take out breast meat .

Dakota369 · #16 05-08-2008, 02:27 PM

How do ya figure that??

Alliman · #17 05-08-2008, 10:54 PM

I called a officer couple yrs ago.He explained to me that the breast meat alone did not meet the required % that that had to be used. Like I said that was a few yrs ago, Im sure it has not changed Again that was for waterfoul.Check it out yourself ??

ABDUKNUT · #18 05-08-2008, 11:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alliman

Hi yall new to this forum,as far as ducks and geese go .It is against the law to only take out breast meat .

2 weeks ago I showed a CO from SK SRD and a Fed from Environment Canada, a pick-up bed full of breasted geese that I was about to dump into the bush for the coyotes and they had no problem with it so it certainly can't be illegal.

#19 05-09-2008, 09:34 AM

I don't even bother plucking the breasts on geese at all. If you just make an incision big enough to get a couple fingers in it tears pretty easy and you can hand skin it. I like to pull the skin away from the legs to and bust em loose with a hatchet. Couple little cuts and the come out easy.

just my two cents

Alliman · #20 05-09-2008, 10:31 AM

Hi ABDUKUT In response to your experience, all depends in who your dealing with ? A certain % has to be taken from the bird or it is considered waste,and you can be charged by the Federal Migratoy Act,will try to find the exact act.

ABDUKNUT · #21 05-09-2008, 11:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alliman

A certain % has to be taken from the bird or it is considered waste,and you can be charged by the Federal Migratoy Act,will try to find the exact act.

Re-read your source and check your facts, my friend, as I can assure you that is not the case. I'll leave it at that.

Deerme · #22 05-10-2008, 11:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alliman

I called a officer couple yrs ago.He explained to me that the breast meat alone did not meet the required % that that had to be used. Like I said that was a few yrs ago, Im sure it has not changed Again that was for waterfoul.Check it out yourself ??

Rather than take another person's opinion as fact you should make yourself familiar with the applicable regulations for the game you intend to hunt.

In last year's regs (2007) the applicable item is item 6 of the General regulations section (page 16).

Having said that, don't let me deter you from harvesting those succulent beaks and wing tips.

ps: The only good use for grouse legs is to cut them off, expose the tendon (so as to be able to manipulate the foot like the bird would) and torment the better half's cat!